The David Douglas School Board picked the district's next superintendent during a special board meeting tonight.

The board members unanimously selected Donald Grotting, the current head of the Nyssa School District, to replace Barbara Rommel. She plans to retire in June after a 37-year career with the district, the last 12 as superintendent.

According to schools spokesman Dan McCue, the board was impressed with Grotting's efforts to turn Nyssa into a statewide model for schools. In 2006, he was named educator of the year for the district in far-eastern Oregon, along the Idaho border.

The selection followed a four-month search. Grotting will be the sixth superintendent in the district's 50-year history.

Following an early career as a carpenter for Georgia Pacific in his
hometown of Coquille, Grotting received an education degree from
Linfield College in 1993.

He taught at
Powers Elementary School in southwest Oregon from 1994-96. He then served as superintendent of the Powers School District and principal of its elementary, middle and high schools from 1996 to 2000.

While continuing to work, he earned a master's degree and administrative license from Portland State University He received a superintendent's license in 2001 from Lewis & Clark College.